Callaghan’s Irish Social Club: quite possibly the best bar in the south

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Callaghan’s Irish Social Club shows us why it’s been Mobile, AL’s go-to place for good times, good food, and good music for over 70 years…

If they ever do a southern-inspired reboot of Cheers, it’ll be called Callaghan’s. This Mobile, AL Irish “Social Club,” is the kind of place where everyone knows your name (and the bartender knows your order). We only spent an hour or so at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club as we passed through on the 2018 MINI Takes the States, but we can’t wait to go back.

Here’s why…

The history and charm

1946 would have been an exciting time to open a bar & grill… The war was ending and folks had reason to celebrate, so it seems only fitting a joy-filled place like Callaghan’s would open its doors in Mobile, AL. Seventy years later, the party continues just as it has every decade since the 40s.

With all these years of good times under its belt, the walls of Callaghan’s Irish Social Club are lined with remnants of good times gone by. As happy patrons make new memories, they can browse the countless photos and plaques commemorating the good times had by others over the years. Callaghan’s history comes through in its decor in a way no new restaurant or bar could ever fake.

The music

We only have a couple regrets from our visit to Callaghan’s, and one is not being there for some of their live music. A multiple-night-a-week occurrence, this place is rarely without good tunes from both local and nationally recognized acts with some of your biggest starts having played there over the years.

The food

Ahhh… Breakfast for lunch. Breakfast anytime, really. Callaghan’s omelette and grits did not disappoint. Huge, tasty, and reasonably priced, we’d order it again and again if we lived in Mobile.

We will say our second regret is that we didn’t have enough stomach space to try a burger too. Heralded as the best burger in town (and the state), we will just have to wait until our next trip to give it a go. If you’re headed their way, do try the burger and think of us.

Of course, their full bar and friendly bartenders will make sure it all goes down smoothly…

The community

As we mentioned, Callaghan’s might as well be dubbed the Cheers of the south. During our hour or so at the bar, we saw countless folks come in and be greeted by name and served their drink without having to order.

With a steady mix of tables, bar stools, and outdoor seating, all nearly full, it was clear Callaghan’s was indeed a “social club” for families and friends in Mobile. It’s just one of those places that morphs into whatever you want it to be… relaxing brunch spot, rowdy weekend hotspot, or family dinner go-to, Callaghan’s fits the bill for all.

To sum it all up, Callaghan’s Irish Social Club has everything you’d want in a bar & grill.

No wonder when we asked some people where we should go in Mobile, they said, “Well, you’re already there.”

We think we might have to do a follow-up story on Callaghan’s Irish Social Club for St. Patrick’s Day…

About MINI Takes the States:

We discovered Callaghan’s on MINI Takes the States. This is our third time motoring around the country with hundreds (seriously, hundreds) of MINIs. Every two years, MINI puts together a route full of fun activities and adventures for any MINI owner to participate for an remarkably reasonable fee.

The best part? It’s for charity! This year, MINI and MINI owners worked with Feeding America to generate over 1 MILLION meals for those in need through this year’s event! (More on that here)

Not only did we enjoy taking the backroads in our slick, new MINI hardtop, but we also enjoyed the camaraderie that permeates through the MINI community.